Julian Webb

@julianinoz.bsky.social

740 followers 580 following 320 posts

Law prof at UniMelb; lawyers/legal ethics, digital tech/reg, civil justice, empirical research. HREC Chair, Grampians Health. Recovering legal education geek.Trainee lavender grower, 💙art and books. Dja Dja Wurrung country #firstgen .. more

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Political science 28%

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Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Jan 30

"Informative, inspiring and ambitious, Leading Works is a landmark work in legal ethics... The wide-ranging and thought-provoking territory that the book covers make it an invaluable resource..."

- Amy Salyzyn, JOTWELL (Jan. 29, 2025) (reviewing Webb (ed), Leading Works in Legal Ethics, Routledge).

Three copies of a book, 'Leading Works in Legal Ethics' fanned out on a wooden table

Reposted by Julian Webb

Ketan Joshi @ketanjoshi.co · 1d

"As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacentres, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plants"

www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

‘It’s hell for us here’: Mumbai families suffer as datacentres keep the city hooked on coal

As Mumbai sees increased energy demand from new datacenters, particularly from Amazon, the filthiest neighbourhood in one of India’s largest cities must keep its major coal plants

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Julian Webb

The Conversation AUNZ @aunz.theconversation.com · 2d

Labor has pledged to pass long-awaited environment laws this week. But the current reforms leave Australia open to legal challenge.

Reposted by Julian Webb

Law, Technology and Humans @lawtechhum.bsky.social · 2d

From the latest issue - The legal profession offers its members a special identity in exchange for prolonged education and regulatory oversight. This article explores how the emergence of #GenAI challenges that promise and the profession’s meaning and value #LegalProfession
🔗 doi.org/10.5204/lthj...

Reposted by Shannon Vallor, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop , and 2 more Shannon Vallor, Richard S.J. Tol, Dorothy Bishop, Julian Webb, Mark Rice

Justin Brake @justinbrake.bsky.social · 4d

This is the 2nd time a major government report from Deloitte has been found to contain errors likely generated by AI.

First in Australia and now, as The Independent has confirmed, in a major healthcare policy paper for the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador #nlpoli #AI #deloitte

The Independent @independentnl.bsky.social · 4d

A major healthcare policy paper commissioned by @govnl.bsky.social government from Deloitte at a cost of $1.6 million, cites research papers that don’t exist, making it the second major government policy paper called into question in as many months. #nlpoli #AI
theindependent.ca/news/lji/maj...

Major N.L. healthcare report contains errors likely generated by A.I. – The Independent

$1.6 million Health Human Resources Plan from Deloitte cites research papers that don’t exist, making it the second major government policy paper called into question in as many months

theindependent.ca

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · 5d

Judges have become ‘human filters’ as AI in Australian courts reaches ‘unsustainable phase’, chief justice says www.theguardian.com/law/2025/nov...

Judges have become ‘human filters’ as AI in Australian courts reaches ‘unsustainable phase’, chief justice says

Stephen Gageler warns the speed of AI’s development could be outstripping people’s ability to ‘comprehend its potential risks and rewards’

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Julian Webb

The Australia Institute @australiainstitute.org.au · 6d

"The fossil fuel lobby has learned from the tobacco industry's tactics. It knows that denying manmade climate change is no longer credible.

"The mission is simply to delay climate action...to continue to make profits from the damage they do."

- The Hon. Mike Rann AC CNZM #auspol

Reposted by Julian Webb

A/Prof Narrelle Morris @narrellemorris.bsky.social · 6d

Supreme Court of Western Australia has finally issued its guidelines to litigants and practitioners on the use of Gen AI. Very similar to the general principles approach in Vic/Qld with shades of NSW. It’s not a practice note. Nothing directed to judges, which is a shame. See my recent article.

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · 9d

What perfect album came out the year you turned 16? This is mine... *chef's kiss* open.spotify.com/album/4WD4ps...

Reposted by Julian Webb

Pacific Standard 🚜🌻☂️ @pacstandardtw.bsky.social · 11d

"Anthropic said, with “high confidence,” it identified the threat actor as a Chinese state-sponsored group that successfully manipulated its Claude Code tool into attempting to infiltrate about 30 global... tech companies, financial institutions, chemical manufacturers, and government agencies."

Anthropic says it 'disrupted' what it calls 'the first documented case of a large-scale AI cyberattack executed without substantial human intervention' | Fortune

"Attackers used AI’s 'agentic' capabilities to an unprecedented degree—using AI not just as an advisor, but to execute the cyberattacks themselves."

fortune.com

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · 13d

They should have given him a role in the Blues Brothers 😄

Reposted by Julian Webb, Sabine Pahl

Charlotte Garden @charlottegarden.bsky.social · 17d

A variation on the story from the other day about how many teens think factual reporting is routinely made up:

Susanna Shore, Author @susannashore.bsky.social · 22d

I spotted this on Mastodon and I find it horrible, not least for the speed with which this has happened.

A post on Mastodon by small cypress (@small_cypress@indieweb.social):

As an art teacher I was worried AI would come up as an issue of "why should I learn how to draw when I can use AI instead."

But the real issue is that my middle schoolers CONSTANTLY believe all art I show them is AI. Digital art. Photography. Oil paintings from the Western canon. "A human couldn't do that"

Being convinced that humans can't make great art is kind of terrifying

Reposted by Julian Webb

Legal Futures @legalfutures.bsky.social · 22d

Ethics and profits clash “regularly”, say general counsel zurl.co/xxJKK

Ethics and profits clash “regularly”, say general counsel

Most general counsel at large UK companies have said that ethical and moral concerns “regularly” come into conflict with “profit motivations”.

zurl.co

Reposted by Julian Webb, Lisa Larrimore Ouellette

Matthew Sag @matthewsag.bsky.social · 22d

Harvey.AI is courting law schools like Westlaw/Lexis once did, but do we really need it? After a demo, my verdict: it's ChatGPT in a black turtleneck. Good for firms needing secure doc review & RAG, but law students can already do most of this with existing tools. matthewsag.com/do-law-schoo...

Do law schools need Harvey.AI? – Matthew Sag

matthewsag.com

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · 26d

There is no smell of living thing,only the trace
Of an empire long forgotten, bleeding
Stone out of the dead land.
A frown and wrinkled lip lie shattered,
Half-hidden, a lip that lies, lied once bidding
All in a voice of cold command.
Where are you now,
But in the shadow of monuments?

Pete Smith @reddite.bsky.social · 27d

Hwaet! a strider from sore agéd strand
Speaking of stone shattered shanks
Hard by hewn and haughty highbrowed
Sternly showing the sculptor's sight
Memory of might majestic
Cold and clear calling to conquered
Lost and lowly now lingering looks
OZYMANDIAS' ornament orders
Despair and doom

Gabby HC's books make ideal festive presents @scriblit.bsky.social · 27d

Once upon a desert sandy
As through winds the trav'ling man he
Spied the face of Ozymandy
Lying, simply lying there
Suddenly there was some writing
Pon the plinth that he was sighting
That the sand and time were blighting
Quoth the statue, "Now despair"

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · 27d

Some good news for a change: Cheers as historic treaty with First Nations people passes Victorian parliament search.app/PJB1G

Cheers as Victoria legislates historic treaty with First Nations people

The upper house of state parliament erupted in cheers last night when vote was passed and the politicians w...

search.app

Reposted by Julian Webb

Pete Smith @reddite.bsky.social · 27d

Gabby HC's books make ideal festive presents @scriblit.bsky.social · 27d

Nick Pettigrew @nick-pettigrew.bsky.social · 27d

There was an old man you could gaze
At his works in despair in a daze
If you looked upon them
And were mere mortal men
'Ozymandias mighty', it says

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Oct 26

Human Rights Commission calls for neurotech safeguards www.innovationaus.com/human-rights...

Human Rights Commission calls for neurotech safeguards

Australia's privacy laws should be updated urgently to protect neural data, the Australian Human Rights Commission has warned in a landmark report calling for new safeguards on the nascent technology....

www.innovationaus.com

Reposted by Julian Webb

Legal Futures @legalfutures.bsky.social · Oct 20

Law firm that cited fake AI-generated cases to pay wasted costs zurl.co/7yJ1H

Law firm that cited fake AI-generated cases to pay wasted costs

A law firm has been ordered to pay wasted costs after it cited two fictitious cases that were generated by artificial intelligence.

zurl.co

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Oct 15

Great, now AI slop porn is, apparently, an essential step towards superintelligence. And this from a co that once pretended it was committed to AI for social good! If only this were satire...

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · Oct 14

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

We made ChatGPT pretty restrictive to make sure we were being careful with mental health issues. We realize this made it less useful/enjoyable to many users who had no mental health problems, but given the seriousness of the issue we wanted to get this right.

Now that we have been able to mitigate the serious mental health issues and have new tools, we are going to be able to safely relax the restrictions in most cases.

In a few weeks, we plan to put out a new version of ChatGPT that allows people to have a personality that behaves more like what people liked about 4o (we hope it will be better!). If you want your ChatGPT to respond in a very human-like way, or use a ton of emoji, or act like a friend, ChatGPT should do it (but only if you want it, not because we are usage-maxxing).

In December, as we roll out age-gating more fully and as part of our “treat adult users like adults” principle, we will allow even more, like erotica for verified adults.

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Oct 14

ChatGPT ‘upgrade’ giving more harmful answers than previously, tests find www.theguardian.com/technology/2...

ChatGPT ‘upgrade’ giving more harmful answers than previously, tests find

Campaigners ‘deeply concerned’ about response to prompts about suicide, self-harm and eating disorders

www.theguardian.com

Reposted by Will Jennings, Julian Webb, Fabián Muniesa , and 2 more Will Jennings, Julian Webb, Fabián Muniesa, McKenzie Wark, Simon Lester

Matt Burgess (WIRED) @mattburgess1.bsky.social · Oct 14

Oh good, ChatGPT is getting "erotica for verified adults" later this year

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Oct 9

www.lawyersweekly.com.au/biglaw/43109...

4 in 10 disciplined lawyers struck off, exclusive data reveals

Exclusive Lawyers Weekly data revealed that around 40 per cent of lawyers facing disciplinary action have been struck off or recommended for removal. A closer analysis of the last 100 disciplinary rep...

www.lawyersweekly.com.au

Reposted by Julian Webb

LPE Blog @lpeblog.bsky.social · Oct 6

Today, @lookheron.bsky.social argues that, for higher education, it's been one battle after another: how the neoliberal era laid the groundwork for the recent authoritarian turn.

The Neoliberal Foundation of the Authoritarian Turn in Higher Education

Recent authoritarian attacks on higher education mark a significant shift from the neoliberal era, which celebrated institutional independence from the state, the role of education in boosting worker…

lpeproject.org

Reposted by Richard S.J. Tol, Steve Peers, Tim Bale , and 2 more Richard S.J. Tol, Steve Peers, Tim Bale, Julian Webb, Graham Dutfield

dag @davidallengreen.bsky.social · Oct 1

This is the judgment on the PPE/Medpro claim.

A cracking £122m win for the Government Legal Service

And is wonderful to see the government bringing a claim in contract against a shoddy supplier.

This does not happen often, and it should happen far more.

www.judiciary.uk/wp-content/u...

www.judiciary.uk

Reposted by Julian Webb

Orin Kerr @orinkerr.bsky.social · Sep 25

"Trial Separation: Courtroom Lawyers Are Breaking Up With Big Law," a very interesting WSJ story on prominent biglaw litigation partners starting boutique firms. Gift link:
www.wsj.com/us-news/law/...

Trial Separation: Courtroom Lawyers Are Breaking Up With Big Law

Top litigators are leaving elite firms to start boutique firms, a trend that is accelerating in the Trump era.

www.wsj.com

Julian Webb @julianinoz.bsky.social · Sep 22

Looking forward to discussing Legora over dinner this week with my MLS colleague Jeannie Paterson, Minter Ellison's Jack Stoneman and Legora's Heather Paterson

The Legal Wire @legalwire.bsky.social · Sep 22

Linklaters announces firmwide roll-out of Legora’s Generative AI platform - The Legal Wire

London, 22nd September 2025 – Linklaters has today announced the firmwide implementation of Legora, a market-leading Generative AI platform tailored for legal professionals. Embedding Legora across all 30 offices is the latest step in Linklaters’ strategy to support the world’s leading corporates, banks, funds and financial sponsors on their most complex, cross-border mandates. Legora is designed to

thelegalwire.ai

Reposted by Julian Webb

RanTLaw @rantlaw.bsky.social · Sep 19

I don’t think Ben realises how funny this quote is

Reposted by Julian Webb

Lawrence Solum @lsolum.bsky.social · Sep 18

Rapoport on Law Firm Responses to Targeting by Executive Order, buff.ly/2Pw8AmC -Nancy B. Rapoport (University of Nevada, William S. Boyd School of Law) has posted Scrappy or Strategic? Law Firm Decision-Making in Light of Executive Orders (Vol 13, Emory Corp. Gov. & Account. Rev. (2026)) on SSRN.

Rapoport on Law Firm Responses to Targeting by Executive Order

Nancy B. Rapoport (University of Nevada, Las Vegas, William S. Boyd School of Law) has posted Scrappy or Strategic? Law Firm Decision-Making in Light of Executive Orders (Vol 13, Emory Corp. Gov. &…

buff.ly

Reposted by Julian Webb

6 News Australia @6newsau.bsky.social · Sep 17

NEW: The ACT Legislative Assembly has today moved to enshrine access to adequate housing as a human right, in an Australian-first decision that passed with bipartisan support

WATCH: www.youtube.com/watch?v=fP4-...